KR100630239B1 - Call Answering Method Based on Caller ID - Google Patents

Abstract

An automated answering cellular telephone system is disclosed in which the caller ID field of an outgoing cellular page message is changed to a group ID number that designates a plurality of cellular telephones in the group. In an exemplary embodiment, the outgoing call dials a group phone number, and the group phone number is routed to the group ID server by the mobile switching center. The group ID server examines the group number in the lookup table to determine if the cellular telephone is included in a particular group, and then sends the individual group member ID code to the switching center connecting to the outgoing telephone. Before transmitting the ID code of the group member to the switching center, the group ID server 21 replaces the caller ID field with the group number ID from the outgoing call ID. This conveys to the mobile station that the call is a group call as opposed to an individual call, and puts the mobile station in an answering mode such that the mobile station acts as a dispatch radio as opposed to a human answer cellular telephone.

Outgoing calls, group ID servers, mobile stations, mobile switching centers, memory lookup tables

Description

Call answering method based on caller ID {METHOD FOR AUTO ANSWERING A CALL BASED ON CALLER ID}

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to telecommunication networks and, more particularly, to an answering call to a cellular telephone mobile station.

The operation of cellular mobile stations (eg, cellular telephones) is known. As the user of the cellular telephone understands, the cellular telephone system gives the user great mobility while maintaining access to the cellular and public telephone systems. Due to this mobility, one of the more prevalent features among cellular mobile station users is the ability to operate cellular telephones in a so-called hands-free environment. That is, ideally, cellular telephone users want to be able to answer incoming calls, for example, without contacting the mobile station.

Currently, there is an answering machine function in cellular mobile stations. In many mobile stations, for example, the answering machine function is present by adding accessories to the mobile station and enabling the answering machine by the mobile station through various characteristic menus.

A general understanding of the operation of a cellular telephone network is related to how the present invention utilizes an autoresponder in a particular environment. 1 and 2, shown as background, show simplified versions of the structure used to set up calls from cellular mobile stations (FIG. 1) and the structure used to receive calls from cellular mobile stations (FIG. 2). .

In FIG. 1, the cellular mobile station 10 broadcasts a call request received at the base station 11. The base station 11 sends this request to the base station controller 12, which communicates a message containing the called telephone number to the mobile switching center 13. The mobile switching center 13, as its main function, switches the cellular telephone call to another suitable base station (for cellular incoming calls) or to a public telephone service network 15 (for public incoming calls). The mobile switching center 13 uses the visited location register 14 to register the broadcast location of the cellular telephone 10. If the mobile switching center 13 determines that the cellular telephone 10 is authorized to set up the required telephone call, when the call recipient answers, the mobile switching center is connected to the cellular mobile station 10 and the destination station (cellular or PSTN, etc.). Establish a channel between).

FIG. 2 shows when the call to the cellular mobile station 10 is made in the reverse of FIG. 1, i. In this case, the outgoing call is in the PSTN 15 which diverts the call request to the ground mobile switching center 17. The GMSC 17 finds the home position of the destination mobile station (in this case, the cellular mobile station 10) from the home position register 16. The GMSC 17 then sends a call request to the mobile switching center 13 together with the home position of the mobile station 10. The switching center 13 then switches the call via the base station controller 12 serving the base station 11 within the geographical cell location of the mobile station 10. When the mobile station 10 responds, the access channel is established and can start a conversation.

2, the connection between the telephone and the PSTN 15 and the cellular mobile station 10 is established by the user of the cellular mobile station 10 (usually by pressing a button in front of the cellular phone 10). It will not complete until you respond. The mobile station 10 may use features that allow it to automatically answer these phone calls. In addition, a feature currently available is a so-called " caller ID " feature that identifies the originator of an incoming call to a cellular telephone user. The destination cellular phone identifies the caller through a caller ID field (including the caller's phone identifier) that is sent to the call request page of the incoming call.

The present invention utilizes the caller ID function currently being used in cellular telephone networks to determine if the cellular mobile station automatically answers telephone calls and to establish dispatch radio-type usage of the cellular telephone system. In one embodiment, if the caller ID sent by the base station to the cellular mobile station matches the stored list in the mobile station, the phone sounds a single ring to answer the call automatically, and sends a call reception message to the base station, thereby transmitting the mobile station user. Answer the call without any user action by In another embodiment, the caller ID is replaced with a group call number that can be identified by the destination cellular phone to make the destination cellular phone available in the same manner as the dispatch radio. That is, for example, dispatch radios are being used by police and the like to allow broadcast communications to be transmitted through radio groups. According to the approach of the present invention, by using the caller ID function in the cellular radio, a message can be sent from the dispatch (or single cellular radio) to a group of cellular telephones, which group of cellular telephones can then be sent to the mobile station. Instead of answering the call, it automatically answers the call to broadcast the message to the mobile user. In this way, cellular telephones can be used as dispatch radios in hands-free operation.

Other advantages and objects of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram of a standard cellular network system.

2 is another schematic diagram of a standard cellular network system.

3 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is an illustration of a set of messages transmitted in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3 in an exemplary omitted format.

5 is an illustration of an example lookup table used by the group ID server of the example embodiment of FIG.

6 illustrates an exemplary memory table used by the mobile station of the example of FIG.

7 is a flowchart in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, cellular radio can be used in dispatch radio mode by adding a group call function to the cellular system in combination with an answering machine function in a cellular telephone. According to a preferred embodiment, the mobile station is configured to read the caller ID information of the call request received from the base station and to check the caller ID information for the stored answering machine list. If there is a match, the mobile station automatically answers the call without user input and mutes the microphone of the mobile station, allowing the mobile station to act as a receiver of the dispatch radio. The user of the cellular telephone can then listen to the broadcast message from the dispatch station (or dispatch cellular telephone) by hands-free operation. In an alternative embodiment, the user broadcasts by pressing the "push-to-talk" button associated with the mobile station that unmutes the cellular telephone's microphone so that the telephone can be used in the normal duplex mode. You can interrupt the call to your cellular phone.

The present invention can be easily applied to land line telephones so that the following examples of cellular telephones can be easily replaced with land line telephones and are within the scope of the invention.

In an exemplary embodiment in a cellular telephone, the present invention includes various modifications to existing mobile stations and cellular telephone networks. 3 illustrates some of these variations used in exemplary embodiments of the invention. The embodiment of FIG. 3 is centered on a mobile switching center 13, which generally operates as described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, but with several variations. Although not all of the structures shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are shown in FIG. 3 as a background structure for transmitting and receiving calls in a cellular network, those skilled in the art will appreciate that such structures (such as base stations, etc.) are included in the structure shown in FIG. I will understand that. For the sake of simplicity and brevity, structures unnecessary to the understanding of the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 are omitted.

In Fig. 3, the outgoing call 20, which may be a landline telephone or a mobile telephone assigned to it a mobile station identification number of " MSID = 1 ", is a group of mobile stations identified by the group number " group = 10 " Initiates a group call of. The outgoing call 20 initiates this calling procedure by sending a page as shown partially in frame A of FIG. The outgoing call 20 prepares frame A, which is understood by those skilled in the art as an abbreviated version of the contents of a typical page frame from a standard cellular transmission, where the caller ID field, along with the page message in the message field, originates. Phone 20 ID (in this case, MSID = 1). Of course, within this frame is a message to the mobile switching center 13 indicating that the outgoing call 20 dials the group number as the " phone number "

The mobile switching center 13 recognizes the telephone number " 10 " as a group number, and switches the page request to the group ID server 21. In essence, the mobile switching center 13 only sends a " dial group number 10 " request from the outgoing call 20 to the group ID server 21.

The group ID server 21 uses a lookup table of group numbers, an example of which is shown in FIG. This lookup table may be stored in memory in the group ID server 21 as it contains the interrelationships between the MSID group numbers and the cellular phones associated with these particular groups. For example, in Fig. 5, the group number 10 (group number requested by the outgoing call 20 in the example of Fig. 3) includes an MSID group number (cellular telephone) identified by MSID numbers 2, 3, and 4, Include the group number (land line telephone) identified by LL = 5. Similarly, group number 11 includes MSID group numbers 2, 7 and 8. The invention is not limited to any particular MSID number or landline group number loaded into the group ID server 21, nor to any particular arrangement of the number of group members related to any or all group numbers.

After examining group number 10 and retrieving that the MSID and land line group members associated with it are identified by mobile station IDs 2, 3 and 4 and land line ID number 5, group ID server 21 then checks for MSID numbers 2, 3 and Notifies the mobile switching center 13 that the mobile station identified by 4 and the land line telephone identified by LL = 5 are called. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, the group ID server 21 requests the mobile radio switching station 13 to dial MSID = 2, 3 and 4 and LL = 5.

However, before sending the dial request to the mobile switching center 13, the group ID server 21, as shown in frame B of FIG. 4, calls the caller ID field of the frame provided by the outgoing call 20. FIG. To change. As shown in Fig. 4, the group ID server 21 receives frame A and changes the caller ID field by replacing the caller ID (MSID = 1) with the requested group ID (group = 10). In essence, the outgoing call 20 notifies the mobile switching center 13 to request a dispatch type call to a group whose identity is MSID = 1 and group = 10. This is relayed to the group ID server 21, which translates the telephone number " group = 10 " into a set of MSIDs and LLs associated with each mobile station located within group " 10 ". Then, instead of identifying the caller as the outgoing call 20, the group ID server 21 is a group call for the group identified as " group = 10 ", among which MSID = 2, 3 and 4 Identify to the destination mobile station and land line phone that each mobile station and land line phone identified by LL = 5 is a part.

As shown in Fig. 3, the mobile radio switching center 13 completes the connection to the " group 10 " mobile stations, i.e., mobile stations 22, 23, 24 and LL5. As shown in Fig. 5, since MSID = 4 is not included in the originally requested group number 10, the mobile station 25 (MSID = 5) is not connected to the group call. Rather, outgoing call 20 and mobile station 22 (MSID = 2), mobile station 23 (MSID = 3), mobile station 24 (MSID = 4) and land line phone 5 by MSC 13. The connection made between (LL = 5) is a dedicated channel connection between these phones, which allows outgoing call 20 to broadcast a message only to mobile stations 22-24 and phone LL5.

Of course, mobile stations 22-24 and telephone LL5 receive Frame B of FIG. 4 from mobile radio switching center 13 along with a caller ID field that identifies the caller as group 10. To allow mobile stations 22-24 and telephone LL5 to operate as dispatch radios in hands-free operation, mobile stations 22-24 and telephone LL5 receive group calls as opposed to standard one-to-one telephone calls. You must understand that. For this reason, each telephone is equipped with an EEPROM capable of loading a group identification telephone number as opposed to an individual prestored number. In the example of FIG. 6, the EEPROM may load 10 group numbers into the first 10 address positions of the EEPROM. Thereafter, additional telephone numbers, such as pre-stored speed dial numbers, can be loaded into the memory. With this arrangement, each time the telephone receives a page request, it first examines the first ten addresses of the EEPROM to determine whether the caller ID is one of ten previously stored group numbers. If there is a match, the phone can enter the answering machine mode because it recognizes the group number as one of the phone's responses in dispatched operation. To prioritize dispatched operation, the phone may be equipped with a push-to-talk (PTT) button that unmutes the muted cellular telephone microphone that occurs in an answer dispatched operation.

Thus, the first ten addresses in the memory map of FIG. 6 identify the calling group number that allows the phone to answer automatically. Of course, approximately 10 memory locations can be used. In addition, in the embodiment of Fig. 6, by dividing the answering machine number into the first ten address positions, the answering machine number is separated from the prestored number, but the present invention provides the answering machine group number from the other prestored phone number. If identifiable, it is not limited to any particular form of separation method.

 Conventional caller ID identification systems can also be used in the present invention. For example, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the outgoing call 20 considers requesting the mobile switching center 13 to " MSID = 3 dial " instead of the " group = 10 dial " command. In essence, this optional request is a request by the outgoing call 20 that is directly (one-to-one) connected to the cellular phone identified by mobile station ID 3 (ie mobile station 23). This, of course, dials the telephone number of one cellular telephone (although in this example the telephone 20 may be a landline telephone) and the other cellular telephone (although in this example the telephone 23 may be replaced by a landline telephone). And the telephone number is converted to a mobile station ID of the terminating mobile station 23. In this case, the outgoing call 20 sends frame A of FIG. 4 to the mobile switching center 13 in the usual way, and the mobile switching center 13 sends the mobile station ID to a single cellular telephone (as opposed to a group number). The page request is transmitted to the mobile station 23. In this case, the mobile stations 22, 24 and 25 and the land line telephone number 5 do not receive the page request because the page request is intended only for a single receiver, i. E.

In this case, the mobile station 23 receives a frame A identifying the caller ID in the caller ID field, in this case the outgoing call 20 ID of MSID = 1. In other words, the group ID server 21 is not used in one-to-one cellular communication and does not convert the caller ID frame of FIG. 4 from frame A to frame B. FIG. Therefore, the mobile station 23 receives frame A, which identifies the caller as the outgoing call 20 with MSID = 1, checks the address of the prestored number in the EEPROM, as shown in FIG. Can be determined in advance in the memory. If stored in advance, the pre-stored phone number from outgoing call 20 may be associated with an alpha message ("John's work", etc.), and mobile station 23 sends this message to the display in front of the cellular phone. To identify the user attempting to complete the call. The user can then choose whether to answer the call based on the alpha message identified on the display.

Thus, the mobile station and land line telephones include a memory map, an example of which is shown in FIG. 6, which identifies whether a call originates from a group request to one-to-one communication. In either case, the phone can be identified by the alpha message to the user making the call ("Group 10" or "John's work", etc.). However, if the caller ID identifies to the telephone that the call is a group request, the appropriate telephones 22-25 in the requested group, etc. automatically answer the call, turn on the speaker at the appropriate volume, and Connect the call so that the designated phone can broadcast the discussion of the calling phone user directly to the user of the phone, without the user having to press any button or answer the call itself.

7 shows a flowchart of the steps used by an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In step 30, the caller dials the group number, such as outgoing call 20 (FIG. 3) dials group number " group = 10 ". This call is received by the switching center (MSC 13) which routes the group call request to the group call server (group ID server 21) in step 31. The group ID server 21 then replaces the ID of the outgoing call 20 (MSID = 1 in the case of FIG. 3) with the group number requested by the outgoing call 20 in step 32. . This substitution occurs in the Caller ID Message field, as shown in FIG. When the group ID server 21 makes such a caller ID field replacement, the group ID server sends a page request to the switching center, and the destination is identified by each of the specific group members.

In step 33, the switching center receives the page request from the group ID server 21 and transmits the page to each group member individually. Then, in step 34, the mobile stations 22-24 and the land line telephone (LL = 5) receive this page message from the switching center 13, and the caller of FIG. 4 for the stored group list ID of FIG. Examine the ID field. In step 35, if the receiving telephone detects a match condition, in 37, the receiving telephone answers the call, and the group ID number (group ID number itself or a word associated with a particular group or Display an alpha tag (alpha message) associated with a phrase. When such a match condition is detected, the mobile stations 22 to 24 and the land line telephone LL5 sound a ringing tone once, transmit a connection signal to the switching center 13, and do not require any manual operation of the user. To receive the call. On the other hand, in step 35, if a match condition is not detected, in step 36, this call, by the switching center and the receiving side phone, does not hook the land line telephone or press the button of the cellular telephone. It is treated as a normal call that requires the user to press or take some other action and answer the call.

As can be seen from the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides a general human answer mode in which a cellular telephone user must answer a call in some manual operation, or a group of cellular telephones from which the cellular telephone is called. The cellular telephone is used in an answering mode, which acts as a dispatch radio that broadcasts messages.

While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is not intended to be construed as departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. It will be appreciated that it is intended to cover variations and equivalent structures.

Claims (13)

A method of connecting a telephone call from an outgoing call with an outgoing call identifier to a group of phones each having an incoming call identifier and collectively having a group call identifier, the caller of the call request in which the outgoing call identifier is issued by the outgoing call. In the telephone call connection method included in the ID field, Receiving an associated group phone identifier at the group call server, Removing the outgoing call identifier from the caller ID field; Recording the group telephone identifier in the caller ID field; Identifying an incoming call identifier of each call in the group of phones based on the associated group phone identifier received by the group call server; Issuing a routing command from the group call server to a wireless switching center that identifies each incoming call identifier for each phone in the group of phones. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete In the group call server, A communication link for receiving a group call request from an outgoing call having a caller ID field with information identifying the outgoing call, and A calling processor that removes information identifying an outgoing call from the caller ID field and places group information identifying the group call request in the caller ID field; A memory lookup table for storing group information with an incoming call identifier corresponding to the respective group information, wherein the processor also examines the set of incoming calls corresponding to a group call request and includes the group information; And a memory lookup table for transmitting an incoming call identifier for each of the incoming calls over the communication link. And, At least one incoming receiving the group information, comparing the group information with a group identifier lookup table and automatically answering the telephone call from the outgoing call if the group information matches the information from the group identifier lookup table A group call server comprising a telephone. delete A method of connecting a cellular telephone to an outgoing call from an outgoing call with caller ID characteristics, the method comprising: 1) storing a group call identifier in a memory at a first predetermined memory location, 2) storing the calling party call identifier in a memory at a second predetermined memory location, 3) receiving a page request from the outgoing call, 4) reading the caller ID field of the page request; 5) comparing the contents of the caller ID field with one of the first predetermined memory locations; 6a) the caller ID field is determined to match one of the first predetermined memory locations, and a call from the outgoing call is automatically answered by the cellular phone; and 6b) the caller ID field is set to all the If it is determined that there is a mismatch compared to the first predetermined memory location, the next predetermined predetermined time until any one of the steps of the cellular telephone waiting for user input to respond to the call from the outgoing call occurs first. Repeating the comparison with a memory location. 16. A method for connecting a cellular telephone to an outgoing call from an outgoing call. The method of claim 12, Step 6a), Muting the microphone associated with the cellular telephone, and And broadcasting the call from the outgoing call to the public over the cellular phone.

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